Grease-gun.



G. E. WEBB.

GREASE GUN.

APPLICATION TILED JULY a, 1913.

1,1 17,736, & Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

@ma/z GEORGE EQWEBB, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

GREASE-GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 11 1914:.

Application filed July 5, 1918. Serial No. 777,584.

To all whom it ma concern Be it known t at I, GEORGE E. WEBB, a citizenof the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grease- Guns; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, economical andefiective ase gun especially designed for heavy OllS or grease, theconstruction and arrangement being such that a grease cartridge, in theform of an original. package, can conveniently: be

insertedinto the receptacle and a predeter-' mined quantity of thegrease can readly be discharged, through the manipulation of apiston-rod having a piston-head in clutch connection therewith. .Henceit is apparent that a great saving in =.grease may be efiected, due tothe fact that a predetermined quantity can be discharged by gaging thepiston-rod for discharging the required amount of grease, while at thesame time the container protects the operator against the usualuncleanlyconditions resultin from the ordinary method of oiling andwhennot in use said container can be conveniently stored withoutliability of wasting its contents upon juxtaposed articles. 7

This container is particularly designed for use in oiling automobileparts and is adapted to receive a fresh supply of grease by means ofinserting the cartridge in the form of an original package.

It is also obvious, that while I have particularly designed the articlefor oiling the parts of automobiles, that its use may be extended tofill the requirements in discharging various pasty substances.

With' the above objects in view the invention consists in certainpeculiarities of construction and combination of parts ashere-.inafterset forth with reference to the accompanying drawing andsubsequently chimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation partly broken awayand in section of a container embodyin the features of my invention, thecontainer Iieing shown with a grease cartridge positioned therein; Fig.2 represents a similar view of another form of" grease cartridgeembodyingt-he features of my invention; Fig. 3, a detailed CIOfiS-SGOation of the same, the section being indicated byline 33 of Fi 2, thesaid view illustrating a form of c utch connection between apiston and apiston-rod, which elements constitute features of my invention; Fig. 4,a detailed sectional elevation of another form of clutch mechanism, thesection being indicated by line 4'-4 of Fig. 5; Fig. 5, a sectional planview of the same, the section being indicated by line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig.6, a detailed view of an original package containing the grease utilizedin loading the container, and Fig. 7, a detailed elevation with parts insection of another form of feed-actuating mechanism. v

Referring by chara "'ers 'to the drawings, 1 represents a cylinder,which cylinder for economy in manufacture, is preferabl composed of astandard fiber tubing. T e upper end of the cylinder 1 is formed with anopen mouth and the lower end is provided with a normally closed bottom 1as shown in the exemplification of my invention in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, which bottom in this instance is apertured for the receptionof a discharge nozzle 2 that protrudes through the aperture.

As best shown in Fig. 6, a body of grease A, incased in a textile jacketB, is provided, which jacket is normally closed at its end in anysuitable manner, the same, in conjunction with the grease, constitutinga cartridge. It is understood that these cartridges form originalpackages which are supplied in quantities, each being adapted to befitted into the container to supplement a depleted cartridge. Prior tobeing inserted into the container, the cartridge jacket is opened at oneend and the flanged shank 2' of the nozzle 2 is inserted therein.There-' after the cartridge, together with the nozzle, is inserted intothe cylinder through its mouth in the position shown by Fig. 1 of the.drawings.

'A grease ejector mechanism is next fitted to the container, whichmechanism romprises, in this instance, a threaded rod or stem 3havingoneend bent to form a handle 3', the terminal of which handleconstitutes a stop-lug 3" that is adapted to engage a .cap 4, wherebymovement of the pistonrod' is limited in one direction. Thepistonposition shown, the operator grasps the adjacent to its 'mouth,whereby said cap forms a cover therefor. The cap carrier gripping wings4, which gripping wings in conjunction with the piston-rod handle formmeans whereby the rod is manually forced downward to effect agrease-feeding o eration. The stem or rod 3 also carries a piston-head,which piston-head is composed of oppositely extending cup-like shells 5,5'. The inner-shell 5 is, as shown, concavoconvexed in cross-section andthe outer shell 5 is provided with a flat bottom that is merged intocylindrical walls, which walls are provided with longitudinal splits 5"to form spring sections, whereby a frictional engagement is effectedbetween this shell member and the inner walls of the cylinder 1. The twoshell members 5, 5 are secured together by a ferrule 6, which ferrule isinternally threaded for engagement with the piston-rod 3, the saidthreaded connection between the rod and piston-head constituting aclutching engagement.

v The above described assemblage of greasefeeding mechanism is insertedintii the cylinder in such manner .that the rod is caused screwed aboutthe mouth of the cylinder andthe device is prepared for use, it beingunderstood that the end of the rod', in its in itial position, will bejuxtaposed to the throat of the discharge nozzle 2.

To discharge a predetermined volume of grease for lubricatin a specificmachine element the operator w1ll first revolve the piston-rod in adirection to cause'saidpistonrod, through its engagement with thethimble 6, to move back from the face of the cap 4 as indicated in fulllines in Fig; '1. Thedistance between the stop-lug 3' and the face-ofthe cap will visibly gage the selected;

amount. of grease to be discharged and hence, in effecting a dischargeof the grease after the piston has been withdrawn to the wings4',utilizing them as. a purchase and thereafter forces thepiston'downwardly to cause its stop-lug. to engagethe face ofthe cap'4.This downward movement of the, piston-rod causes the piston-head'totravel 'a i like distance downwardly, whereby grease open end 'ofthegaif-j} trldge through the nozzle2. The ii per' end of the jacket B,which "is fittedaout: the inner face of the cup-like" shell 5, isj

is discharged from the thus rolled inwardly and 'compi'ess'ed"withinsaid Shell, whereby the slack inthe'jacket is takfh up. Inrepeating the operatidrijthe stem 3 again ibtiitd," whereby it isi,117,7so

to travel outwardly "a' predetermined distance, depending upon thevolume of grease to be discharged and in traveling outwardly it isunderstood that the piston, through its frictional engagement with thecylinder,'will.

remain at rest in the position which it had assumed in the priordownward discharge movement of the piston-rod and hence, after It isapparent from the foregoing]description that, by removing the cap 4, t eempty acket B, together with the nozzle and piston-head, can all readilybe removed from the cylinder preparatory to inserting a' loadedcartridge therein.

Referring to Fig; 2 of the drawings another form of my invention isillustrated, wherein the piston-rod 7 is notched throughout its lengthand in this instance the pistonhead .8 is formed with a concavo-convexedbottom 8, which bottom is providedwith a series of radial s lits 8",that intersect a central aperture t rough which the rod extends. Thedivided sections of the bottom 8 thus form spring clutch members,whichmembers permit the spindle to be retracted preparatory to agrease-feeding movement similar to that previously described withrelation to the construction shown in Fig.

1 of the drawings. When the piston-rod 7 is forced downwardly to effecta feed movement it is apparent that its clutching engagement with thepiston-head 8 willcause said head to travel with the rod. and thus feeda predetermined quantity of ease in the same manner as that mentionehereto-. fore.

To prevent the grease from esca ing backward through the bottom of thepiston-head when said grease is put under pressure, I provide apacking-ring or gasket 9, which gasket is snugly fitted about thepiston-rod and arranged to abut the outer bottom. edge of theiston-head, it beinunderstood that the gas et may be formed om anysuitable material and that the piston-head 8, in this instance, is splitlongitudinally atcertain distances about its cylindrical wall -toprewith relation to the inner'wallsof the cylin- Hde'r', whereby saidpiston-head will be held ton-head, that the separated spring memberssen'tthe proper amountpf frictional contact l it is apparent that saidnozzle may remain intact with the cylinder when a loading operationtakes place, it only being necessary in this case to open the lower endof the cartridge jacket, whereby the contents will be discharged intothe throat of the nozzle. Furthermore in this instance the loadingoperation may be effected by simply removing the nozzle 10, whereby thecartridge can readily be inserted through thedischarge 1levers 16 arenormally end of the cylinder in the position shown,

and when so inserted its upper end will be pierced by the notchedpiston-rod.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate still another form of clutch mechanism, wherebythe piston-' head is locked into engagement with the piston-rod. In thelatter form of my invention I provide a hollow piston-head 11 having anapertured bottom 11 and an inwardly flanged top 11". Prior to formingthe inwardly turned flange 11" a pair of conical semi-circularclutch-members 12 are fitted, against the bottom of the piston-head asshown, the said clutch-members being centrally-cut away to form a rodaperture. These two clutch members are held in position by a coiledspring 14 which is fitted thereover and adapted to exert pressure up nsaid clutch members through engagement with the flange 11 as shown, thesaid spring being under constant pressure. By this arrangement of clutchmechanism it is apparent that a smooth surface piston-rod may beutilized, which rod is engaged by the clutch-members, when downwardpressure is exerted thereupon, to effect a feed movement and when therod is retracted the coiled spring 14 will permit the clutch-members tolift, whereby the piston-rod is free to move outwardly in a mannerpreviously mentioned in connection with the description of the otherforms of my invention.

While I have shown several forms of the invention'illustratingvariations in the details of construction, it is apparent that I ma insome instances, vary such details wit in the knowledge of the skilledmechanic without departing from the spirit of my invention, theessential elements of which embody means whereby the piston-rod may beretracted to gage a predetermined discharge of grease, the piston-rodbeing in clutching engagement with a follower or piston-head, wherebysaid follower or piston-head is caused to travel downwardly, coincidentto a downward movement of the rod, to eifect an intermittent feedingoperation.

Referring to Fig. 7 of the drawings the cap 4 has secured thereto abracket 15 into which is fulcrumed a pair of bell-crank le-' vers 16,the short arms of which engage a grooved collar 17 that is carried bythe piston-rod 7 The long arms of the bell-crank spread apart by a bow-spring 18, their spread being limited through engagement of the end ofthe piston-rod with an ear 19 that constitutes part of the bracket 15.By this arrangement it is apparent that great power may be applied tothe piston-rod, whereby the heavy grease is ejected, the operation offeeding being effected by .a one hand movement which directs the deviceand also manipulates the discharge.

I claim:

In a cylindrical nozzled grease-gun having a reciprocative piston-rodtherein; the combination of a follower-piston in clutched connectionwith the rod, with an original container for grease comprising a jacketof textile material normally closed at its ends and adapted to fitwithin the cylinder between the piston-head and nozzle thereof, thelower end of the jacket being opened to effect communication with saidnozzle and the-upper end being pierced by the pistonrod and in nestedengagement with the PIS- ton-head.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in thepresence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. WEBB.

Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, M. E. Dowru'nr.

